Hungry for Power
by Alexandra989
Summary: Hans's thoughts, feelings and recollections on his way back to the Southern Isles, and after. One-shot.


**Besides Elsa, the movie should've featured more of Hans and his life. Just my opinion, though.**

* * *

Hugging his knees, curled up in a corner of the tiny cell not at all fit for a prince, bound for his home, the Southern Isles, Prince Hans was seething with rage. How did everything spiral out of control? One moment everything was going smoothly, and the next, he was locked up and banished from Arendelle. What were his brothers going to say? He would be forever shamed in the Southern Isles. Hans wanted to punish himself so badly.

But he didn't regret what he did or could have done. Not one bit.

His mind flashed back to the day he first met Princess Anna. It was a huge bit of luck! For the first time, in his whole life, someone actually took notice of him. And of all the people, it was Princess Anna of Arendelle! Sure she wasn't the heir to the throne, but she was still second in line! Hans really believed his life was going to change for the better.

"If Anna is second in line, she could only be queen if her sister steps down," Hans had muttered to himself the afternoon after the coronation as he paced aboard his ship, trying to mastermind a plot to make him king. He had already planned to propose to Anna that very night, at the ball, before someone else did. He was quite certain she was going to say yes. After all she had even given him a small wave at the coronation, something she shouldn't be doing. And she did seem pretty attracted to him. Hans smiled. That crown that once sat on the head of the King of Arendelle- he wanted it on his head. Arendelle, despite its secrets, was a thriving land, and boy, the riches he would make being the leader of it! His brothers had often talked of it as well. "But how can I get Queen Elsa to step down?"

_"You can just kill her_," hissed a little voice in the back of his head.

Kill her? That was the simplest solution! He could station some sort of accident for the queen, Anna would have no choice but to take her place, and with him as her lawfully-wedded husband, he would be king! But murder? Hans shook his head. He could not anything of that sort. As badly as he wanted power and a kingdom, he couldn't commit a crime as heinous as murder.

_"Very well, then. You can just wait for your turn to be king of the Southern Isles, then. Lucky number 13, eh?_" the voice spoke again, taunting him. Hans gritted his teeth, wishing it would just go away.

But there was some truth in what it said. The prince leaned against the side of his ship, looking out at the city of Arendelle ahead, at the royal palace. It could be his home. He had to make it so. With 12 other brothers, what chance did he have of ever being a ruler? His whole life, he had been nothing. It was like he didn't even exist, at times. His parents didn't care. They were more intent on grooming his older brothers, knowing that one day they would be great rulers. He didn't even get as much attention as some of the servants and citizens did. Hans balled his hands into fists at the thought of it. He had done everything he could, tried his best to excel at something, but everything went unnoticed. But here was his chance, Princess Anna, handed to him on a silver platter!

"_Can I say something crazy? Will you marry me?_"

"_Can I say something even crazier? Yes!_"

It was just as he had expected, she had agreed immediately. Hans felt closer to Anna that night, and somehow, felt he could relate to her. Both of them had been shut out by their own siblings, had felt neglected and cast away. Anna's life had been so devoid of love that her desperation to find it had made her so reckless as to immediately accept a marriage proposal. As the prince gazed into her large, hope-filled eyes, guilt had stirred up within him. Could he really do this to her? Betray her, kill her sister? But he had no choice. He believed in going after he wanted, he knew what he wanted, and he knew he was going to get it. Maybe she wouldn't care. Did she love her sister, though the latter had shut her out her whole life? He didn't think so.

And sandwiches? Seriously? Hans wanted to laugh out loud at Anna's naivety. Mental synchronisation? If only she knew what went through his mind. He had just played along. He hadn't been lying, though, when he mentioned having been searching all his life to find his own place.

"_She's my sister. She would never hurt me._"

He was proven wrong. She did care about her sister. Hans had almost given up on hope when Queen Elsa refused to give her blessings, but what a turn of events followed! Queen Elsa doomed herself. And Anna was still in love with him! Hans believed that day was the luckiest day of his entire life. And what should happen next, but him being put in charge of Arendelle while reckless Anna ran after her sister. It had been quite annoying to Hans; all he wanted was for Anna to let Elsa go, marry him and rule Arendelle. He had tried to calm down by reminding himself there was no point in ruling a city where winter was eternal. Anna had to bring Elsa back to thaw out the winter. He swaggered about, running things in Arendelle as he pleased, and boy, did he surprise himself! He made a far better ruler than half of his brothers.

"_Queen Elsa! Don't be the monster they fear you are!_"

He wished she would. Would Arendelle ever accept her again? Probably not. Something dawned on the queen's face, and she stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the Wesselton guards raise his crossbow, aimed towards the queen. No! Elsa had to live, long enough to lift the curse, then only she should die. Hans glanced upwards, at the chandelier hanging above the queen, dangling from a thin strip of ice. Perfect. With breakneck speed, he lunged for the bow, knocked it so it aimed upwards and shot down the chandelier. It fell, and Elsa was rendered unconscious.

"_Don't you see? I can't._"

Hans was frustrated, but he tried not to show it. She couldn't thaw out the winter. Arendelle was doomed. Perhaps he could just kill Elsa and perhaps, the curse would be lifted. It would just be like in those fairytales he used to read; the evil witch or wizard is destroyed, and all their spells come undone. It could be the same for Elsa.

"_You're no match for Elsa._"

Him, no match for the queen? He wanted to laugh out loud. Yes, Queen Elsa may be powerful and all, but was she really that powerful? She had already shown weakness, back at the palace. She was afraid of being a monster. Hans had seen it. She was afraid of hurting someone. She was afraid of hurting Anna! She was in despair at the sight of what she had done to her kingdom. She was weak. She was scared.

"_Your sister is dead! Because of you._"

He was so close, so close... It didn't matter that Anna now saw through him, if he could kill Elsa, the winter would thaw out, and Arendelle would bow to him. They would probably scorn their second princess for being such a fool as to go after her sister and try to talk her into lifting the curse. And they would love him. He had inched towards the queen, wondering why she wasn't responding; the crown and throne of Arendelle was so close...

"_NO!_"

#

Hans could feel the ship dock. He was home. And disgrace and dishonour were waiting for him.

Elsa was lucky. Too lucky. Hans ground his teeth in fury at the thought of how lucky she had been. How did all the luck he was having in the beginning were suddenly in favour of Elsa?

Anna, who had been shut out all her life by her one and only sister, would jump in front of a sword, risking her own life, just to save that same sister. Hans thought of his brothers and knew very well none of them would do such a thing. Probably his own mother wouldn't, either. But deep down, he knew he wouldn't do the same for them anyway.

He was to sit in a dungeon for the rest of his life. Well, he could consider himself lucky, as treason was punishable by death, especially towards an ally of the Southern Isles. As he huddled up in a corner of his lowly prison cell, dressed in rags totally unfit for someone of noble blood, his brows furrowed as he thought of Arendelle.

"I will get my revenge," Hans seethed. "Someday, I will, even if it's the last thing I do."


End file.
